


the moon and stars (will all sing to me)

by Leocht (mayibetriumphant)



Series: A little lie and a bigger hurt [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen, actually i totally lied it is, but they're not like.......together here, not real depa/obi technically and definitely not canon compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2020-10-24 12:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20705654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayibetriumphant/pseuds/Leocht
Summary: Depa struggles with letting go of her attachments, Obi-Wan is forced to confront his past, and Anakin gets a stepbrother.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been six-ish months? Sorry about that.

“And then when you’re done, I want you to clean your workstation.”   
“Yes, Master.”

Depa pauses in confusion before continuing with their dishes. “Could you water the window planter, please?”   
Anakin puts his pencil down and grabs a cup to fill in the bathroom. “Of course, Master.”

“...is everything alright, Ani?”   
“Why wouldn’t it be, Master Depa?”   
“No reason, I just thought I’d ask.”   


* * *

Luminara doesn’t see the issue.”Well, what else should he call you? You are his master, after all.”

“I know, but he’s never really--I told him he didn’t have to call me that, and he called me Didi for years.”   
“Maybe he decided it was time for a change, Depa. I feel like you’re reading far too much into this.”

Barriss’ eyes are almost crossed in concentration, trying to keep her pencil from wobbling in the air instead of doing her history.

“Bari.”

Blast, she’s been caught. “Yes, Master.”

“See? It’s normal."

“But Anakin—“

“ _ Depa, _ ” Luminara groans. “perhaps he’s just growing up. Maybe he thinks it’s childish to call you Sissy now.” That’s fair, in her opinion. Boys at that age are very concerned with looking manly.

The Mirialan woman squeezes her friend’s shoulder when she looks crestfallen.

“Lumi, you  _ know  _ why I asked him not to call me that.”

“It’s his choice. He’ll never go back if you force him to call you Didi again.”

“...I suppose you’re right. I just worry about him, you know?”

“I understand. I’m worried about how my Barriss will do on her exam in two days, as well.”

“I already know this stuff!”

“Then when was the last time someone was charged with crimes against civilization?”   
The girl thinks for a second, to no avail. The two older women don’t bother to hide their grins.

“I’ll leave you ladies to it,” Depa says, getting up to leave. “I have to retrieve Anakin anyway.”   
“Don’t go bother your master about this, Deepika.” Luminara warns.

“Ooh, the full name!” Depa gasps in mock fear. “What have I done to warrant such aggression?”   
Her friend gives her a rare smile. “Get out!”


	2. Chapter 2

“I’m probably not going to tell you anything Luminara didn’t already.”   
Depa makes a face. “How did you know?”   
“Because I know you would never come to me for ‘parenting’ advice first. Or Quinlan.” Obi-Wan shrugs. Plus, Mace wouldn't give her the answer she wanted.   
“True.” Also completely fair, but she won’t say that out loud. “Does he talk to you, though?”   
“If it were really something I thought you would find concerning, I’d tell you.”

“Tuh. Our ideas of ‘concerning’ are completely different.”   
The scraggly bearded Jedi rolls his eyes. “Why are you even here, then?”   
“Because you’re a man, and I’m not, so maybe he talks to you about...man stuff.”   
“I can assure you, he doesn’t need my help with that.” He’s not a stupid kid, and something tells him Shmi already had to take care of that conversation. Better her than either of them.   
“It’s not a sex thing, you slimeball.” Her lip curls in disgust. “It’s about him calling me  _ master  _ when we both know he--”   
“Talk to him yourself! You’re thirty years old, woman.”

Depa’s face drops, and Obi-Wan abruptly turns his away before he sees her tooka eyes. He won’t be suckered, not this time. “Obi?”

“Do  _ not _ .” She’s not going to manipulate him into doing another favor.

“I really am worried, and I know he’s going to accuse me of smothering him if I push him, but you…” 

Without even looking, he knows exactly what she’s trying to do. “Deepika, enough. I know you’re making eyes at me.”

“If you won’t do it for me, you’ll do it for him. You would, right? He misses you, you know.” It’s true. He chose her to be his teacher, but Obi-Wan is still his brother.

Depa holds his hands in hers, and he yanks them away. “Stop it. This is coercion, and behavior unbecoming of a Jedi master.”

He glances at her out of the corner of his eye. Her big brown eyes flutter at him. They really are so beautiful, just like--no, absolutely not. They haven’t been together in years as anything other than business partners.

“Ben,  _ please _ . For Anakin, not me.” Depa pouts.

“...fine. But if this backfires, it’s your problem.”

The other Jedi’s pathetic face disappears in an instant as she smiles and kisses his cheek. “You’re the best, Obi-Wan. Ta!”

The Teevan man glares at her without any real venom. “You’re an absolute menace, Billaba!”

“You love it.” She flippantly replies. Obi-Wan can only hope nobody else heard that.


	3. Chapter 3

Approximately an hour later, Anakin is scarfing down a plate of midday breakfast at Dex’s. Obi-Wan hides a grimace. He’d have thought Depa gave him better table manners.

“You can slow down, Anakin. You’re not actually starving anymore.”

Rude. He swallows a bite of eggs with jogan juice. “First off, Mom wouldn’t have let me starve. Second, what do you want anyway?”

“What, this can’t be a lunch between brothers?”

“No, because Depa’s lipstick is still on your cheek.” He's not an idiot, he knows there's something weird going on with them, but it's not a big deal. Jedi aren't supposed to have attachments, after all.

Obi-Wan scrubs at his cheek again, and sure enough, there's a dark purple smear on his palm. “Blast. I’ll cut to the chase, then.”

“Please do. My food’s going to get cold if you talk too long.”

Obi-Wan reaches across the table and good-naturedly thumps him upside the head. “Respect your elders.”

“Oh, you’re old now?” Anakin snickers.

“Old enough. Anyway, Depa’s worried about you calling her ‘master’. She’s under the impression you’re being bullied?” He leaves the question hanging, waiting for him to confirm or deny it.

The boy’s shoulders sag. “If I tell you, you won’t tell her, will you?”

“Depends on whether or not she’d be upset with me for hiding it.” If he's being picked on, he can't keep that from her.

Anakin sighs and puts down his fork. “I get made fun of for calling her Didi. It’s not mature, and some of the others tell me I should leave and go back to my mummy.”

“Depa’s not your mother, so that’s a false equivalence.”   
“But she treats me like a baby! Like  _ her  _ baby!”

Obi-Wan is glad Depa didn’t hear his outburst. It would break her heart. Or crack it, anyway.

“Anakin--”   
“Don’t tell her I said that. Mace already told me she does what she does because she cares, but it’s...it’s embarrassing. And he said he’d talk to her, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t, because she always listens to what he says.” He sullenly shovels a chunk of hash-browns into his mouth. “She doesn’t  _ need  _ to.”

“Have you shown her she doesn’t need to smother you?” Obi-Wan inquires.

“Why can’t she just figure it out on her own?”

“We’ve been over this, Anakin. She’s thick-skulled when it comes to...a lot of things.”

“I’ll tell her you said that.” He half -heartedly threatens.

“No, you won’t. The trick is to do it in a way where she doesn’t notice anything until it’s too late.”

“You’re saying I should trick her?”

“It’s not a trick if you really don’t need her to micromanage you.”

Anakin thinks it over. “Alright. I’ll do it—she doesn’t need to worry about me. I mean, she’s not my  _ mom _ .”

Obi-Wan grimaces. So that’s what this is all really about. “No, she’s not. You’ve done right by not telling her that to her face.” She’s nothing if not well-meaning, and he understands why she latched onto Anakin the way she did.

The boy sniffles a little. “I miss her—my real mom. I don’t want her to think I tried to replace her if I ever get to see her again, Obi-Wan. Master Yoda says it’s not right to be attached but I can’t help it.” It hurts his heart to think of her still in Watto’s shop.

The older Jedi pats his back awkwardly. “Chin up, Anakin. Snot won’t make Dex’s pancakes taste any better.” The Besalisk rolls his eyes from the other end of the bar, but Anakin still can’t manage to smile. Obi-Wan clears his throat. “Hurry and eat, I have business I should attend to in the Temple as soon as possible.” That is, if he wants to get it over with before Tatooine’s summer gets into full swing. It was miserable there even on the ship, from what he remembers.

Anakin nods. He can’t help but feel distantly hurt. Did he really think he’d get any real sympathy from Obi-Wan? He really has issues thinking seriously about anyone but himself. “I’ll get a takeout box. Can we go now?” He doesn’t want to be caught crying in public either.

Dex reaches over with one of his arms, and Anakin dumps his leftovers in the offered foam box. “Thank you, sir.”   
“No problem, kid. And Kenobi, bring Billaba next time! Or that Unduli woman, either’s fine to look at.” Dex jokes at the register. Obi-Wan counts out the cash he owes and hands it over.    
“It’ll only go to Master Billaba’s head, I assure you.” He absently responds. He’s going to need money, and a lot more of it than he’s got now. The last trip to Tatooine they were (forced) to take was comped by the Republic.

“You know her, Dex?” Anakin asks. He can’t picture her eating at his restaurant at all. She’s too...fancy.

“‘Course. She and Kenobi used to--”   
“Thank you, Dex. We’ll be going.”

Anakin blinks in confusion as he’s forcibly steered out the sliding doors. “Hey, what?”

“Later, Anakin. Back to the Temple, now.”

“Dex said--”

“He says a lot of things that aren’t actually immediately important, just like what you just heard, so can we please just find a hovercab to hail and be done with this conversation?”   
Anakin isn’t sure he took a breath during his outburst. His face is a weird color. “I guess.”

The ride back to the Temple is unusually tense. Obi-Wan looks rigid and embarrassed, like he’s expecting Anakin to ask him more uncomfortable questions.

Anakin looks everywhere but him. The edge of his sleeve is suddenly very interesting.

Depa looks displeased when they walk in with their takeout.  
“Why did you abscond with my Padawan?”

“I was allowed to.”   
“You made him miss astrophysics.”   
“I have an A! I don’t even need to go there anymore.”

“Whether or not you have a good grade isn’t the point--” Depa starts.

“Deepika, I need to speak with you--”   
“I’m sure it can wait. I have to look over his homework before tomorrow morning.”   
“No!” Anakin looks instantly ashamed by his outburst. Obi-Wan sighs in exasperation.   
It’s Depa’s turn to be confused. “What?”

“I...no. You don’t have to look through it. I’ll double check it before I go to bed,  _ and  _ do my laundry.” He hurries off before she can protest, unable to meet her eyes. He just  _ knows  _ he’s hurt her feelings.

“Anakin, come back here!” He doesn’t. “Ugh, is this your fault, Kenobi? First he starts calling me master, and now...if I find out you’ve been telling him to do all that I’ll--”   
“What, you’ll break up with me?” Obi-Wan drawls.

The Chalactan Jedi glares as the jab momentarily flies over her head. “We haven’t been together in--oh, I hate you. I’ll think of something.”

“It’s not like you can demote me, so there’s really nothing major you could do at this point.” And she’s not petty enough to try to smear his name to the three or four friends he still has in adulthood over that.

Depa glares. She hates that he’s right. “What do you want?”

“I have an idea, but I need Council approval.”

“Of course, of course. And you think I’ll get Mace to agree with me, right?”

“Technically, I only need  _ your  _ approval, since it’s for Anakin, but I thought it’d be nice to consider his opinion.”

“Let’s find someplace to talk, and I’ll decide if it’s worth our time.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'll return one day with the light upon my face, and the moon and stars will all sing to me."  
-Moon and Stars by John Mark Nelson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love college /s

Cliegg and Owen shade their eyes against the small dust storm whipped up by the landing ship. There’s a strange three-pronged, circle like emblem with a starburst on the center point emblazoned on the wing.

Owen squints. “A Jedi ship? What are they--”

The door behind them flies open as Shmi runs above ground. “Cliegg, look!”  
For his part, he worries about his wife. The Jedi could come with bad news, instead of her boy. He doesn’t want her to be heartbroken again.

Anakin can’t help but barrel past Obi-Wan and down the landing ramp. He’s home! His mother is alive _ and _free! “Mom! Mom!”

His feet don’t touch the sand, Shmi meets him at the edge of the ramp. “Oh, Ani! Ani, my baby boy, you’re so tall now!”

“I missed you.” She smells fancier now, but still familiar, and her clothes are nicer--softer.

If he’d been smaller, Shmi would’ve spun him around in her arms. But he’s already closing in on her height, even at fourteen. Her boy looks healthier than he ever did on their homeworld, and his hair has lost its sun-bleached tint.

“I have so much to tell you!”  
“I’m sure! Are Qui-Gon and Padme with you?”

“...no. He died on Naboo, against the Sith. Obi-Wan killed him back, though, he’s still shutting down the ship back there. He was Master Jinn’s padawan. Padme’s fine though, just being a politician.”

Shmi hums in acknowledgement, face still buried in her boy’s soft, curly hair. While she’s sad to hear of his death, she can’t deny a little bit of bitterness toward the two of them. Almost six years of zero contact, and with all the money Amidala had, nobody thought to come back and free her too? One of her headpieces could’ve freed ten people and paid rent for at least a month for each of them.

“Padawan, are you not going to introduce us?”

A tall, Naboo-looking woman steps down from the cargo hold. Shmi gets the feeling that she already isn’t enjoying the climate, even if it doesn’t show on her face. Two gold marks glimmer in the middle of her face.

“_ Didi _ , this is my mom, Shmi.”   
Sister? She was under the impression that Jedi were more formal than that with their elders. But she can’t be that old, maybe around Owen’s age? Perhaps she doesn’t like to be addressed that way. Even Padme addressed Jinn as "master" when they stayed in her home, despite not being familiar with the Order's culture.

She bows at the waist to her. “A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Skywalker. I am Depa Billaba, young Anakin’s teacher.”

“You’re quite young yourself, aren’t you?” Shmi observes.

“For a Jedi Master, yes, but I’m positively geriatric for an unmarried woman on my homeworlds.” Her own master was young for teaching when he took her on too. A family tradition, so to speak.

They laugh, and Anakin relaxes. He was worried they wouldn’t get along.

Cliegg clears his throat. “Shmi, darling?”

“Oh, of course. Ani, your stepfather, and brother. Cliegg and Owen Lars.” 

_ Be polite. _Depa thinks very pointedly.

Anakin grumbles mentally, but puts on a smile. “Hello there.”  
“We’ve heard a lot about you, young man.”   
“Yeah, it’s good to finally meet you. I was beginning to wonder if you actually existed.” Owen laughs.

His new baby step-brother doesn’t join in. “Well, I didn’t hear anything about you guys.”  
“Anakin.” Shmi and Depa warn simultaneously.

He shrinks under the power of the _ tone _ from both his mother and mentor at the same time.

“...sorry. I would welcome the opportunity to get to know you two better.”

“Go, Anakin. I’ll go see what’s keeping Obi-Wan.” Depa squeezes his shoulder in quiet encouragement.

“I’ll make tea. Ani, come help in the kitchen.” Shmi pulls him away into one of the larger domes. "And I would like to discuss some things with you later on, Master Jedi."

"Of course, Ms. Skywalker."

The Lars men stand about, a little bewildered. “So, what are your plans for the night?”  
“To stay the week, if possible. The three of us have adequate accommodations aboard the ship, along with food and extra water.” Depa truly doubted that they had room in their rations budget for three extra people, and planned accordingly with Anakin’s help.

“That’s...considerate, thank you.” Cliegg nods.

“Thank Anakin. I let him plan the excursion.”

“We’ll make sure to do that.”

Depa bows slightly. “Don’t let me keep you out here. I’ll come inside in a moment.”  
The inside of the ship is blessedly cool in comparison to the world outside. The astromech rolls up, beeping in annoyance.  
“He’s what? I...of course he would. I’ll take care of this, little one.”

It whirrs in thanks before trundling off. Depa has a hard time believing some of these droids don’t develop sentient thought patterns. This one rather reminds her of a child triumphantly returning to tell their sibling just what their mother said about an argument.

The R3 unit bumps into Obi-Wan’s feet repeatedly.  
“ _ Quit _ that!” He kicks at the robot, who’s already safely out of the range of his boots.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, get out from under there and let the astromech do his job. I can assure you that R3 doesn’t need your help making sure the ship stays cool.”

“Well, maybe--”

“If flying is for droids, then so is this! Get out from under there and stop being rude to our hosts!”

R3 beeps at him to stop messing with his settings again.  
“Obi-Wan, if he decides to shock you, I won’t stop him.”

He reluctantly rolls out from underneath the heating control panel. “I said I was going to come out later.”  
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think the great Sithslayer was scared of a few farmers!” Depa wrinkles her nose when he doesn’t laugh. “Seriously, what’s your problem? This whole operation was your idea.”

“Why don’t you worry about yourself?”

“No need to get snippy.”

Obi-Wan aggressively wipes his hands on a rag in response. “I’ll be out in a moment.”

“You’re being rude, Kenobi. It looks like you think you’re too good to enjoy their hospitality.”

“I never said that. Let me clean up, and I’ll be out.”

“But you’re behaving that way. Just come with me, I’m sure they’ve shaken dirtier hands.”

And that wasn’t rude? “Fine, whatever.”

Depa links her arm in his, grinning mischievously. “You’re so easy to get a rise out of, Kenobi. This is just like the training missions we—“

His cheeks are an entertaining shade of purple. “Don’t even start.”

“—had to go on as Padawans. Does Anakin know about the time you ended up being hung upside down in your own trap until Qui-Gon noticed you were missing?”

“That wasn’t _ funny _, Depa. I was terrified. I won’t even bother to ask how you’d feel in the same position because Mace wouldn’t have let you be unaccounted for for two hours.”

She whirls around to face him. “Is that what this is about? Qui-Gon and Anakin?”

“We’re not doing this right now.”

“Fine, be that way. You’re impossible to help. It’s always everyone else’s fault you can’t behave like a grown man, isn’t it?”

Obi-Wan so wishes that she would sound angry. It’s not that he wants to fight again, but the disappointment in her voice needles at his heart.

“Depa, that’s not—“

She takes her arm from his. “I’m going to go get a tour. Join us when you feel like it.”

“Depa, stop.”

She just walks faster down the landing ramp until she’s gone from sight. He debates going to his bunk and not eating with them just to spite her. That would only prove her point about him, though. She _ won’t _be right this time.


	5. Chapter 5

Shmi rolls up her prayer mat and goes to make herself a cup of tea. “Would you like one, Kenobi?”

“Er, yes. If it’s not too much trouble.” It’d be even better if it could be spiked, but he guesses she doesn’t drink. He shouldn’t as much as he does either though.

“Cliegg doesn’t like this flavor, and usually I can’t drink a whole pot. You’re doing me a favor.”

“Oh. Fantastic.”

It’s awkwardly silent until the timer on the machine beeps. Shmi pours two cups. Early morning is the only time to properly enjoy hot tea on Tatooine, and she does so often.

“Now. You have many questions, do you not?”

“I’m afraid I’m not sure where to start, Mrs. Lars.”

“Shmi is fine.”

“Shmi, alright. I just—are you positive Anakin…”

“That he’s my son? He may not have a birth certificate, but he’s not so easy to forget with a head that size.”

“I—“ Obi-Wan starts and deflates. “...that’s a joke. Right, okay.”

“Yes, I’m sure he doesn’t have a  _ real _ father, to answer your question.” She doesn’t have to be trained to feel his despair and confusion. “Are you alright?”

His hands shake. “No. I did something unforgivable. I...if Anakin’s origin isn’t some folkloric...excuse, then I’ve done something I can’t—I mean, I don’t  _ know  _ if I can fix it.”

“Not to him, I hope.”

“No,” he buries his face in his hands. This is embarrassing.”

“I won’t tell. Start from the beginning.”

——

Anakin keeps his breathing even, and his signature dampened, just as he was taught. He thinks Depa might regret letting Quinlan watch him for a weekend. He’s gotten pretty good at faking sleep.

“...and she’s never…”

“Is it her, or is it you, Kenobi?”

“I don’t know why it would be me. I never knew the boy.”

Owen snores very loudly across the room and blocks out whatever Shmi says next. Anakin grumbles quietly. He didn’t think he’d miss how quiet and well, private, his room at the Temple is.

“Well, I think if you go in with honesty, your…” Anakin tries not to jump. He can feel his mother’s dark eyes on him. “...friend will forgive you. Now, I suggest we move on to less sensitive subjects. These walls have a very perceptive pair of ears. It’s so strange that they can eavesdrop, but not hear me when I call them for morning prayers!”

“I didn’t hear anything.” Anakin mumbles, then winces. Caught again.

“Good. Now, get up and help with breakfast.”

The rest of the day is...odd. Anakin can’t help but feel that things are even more strained between his teachers. But at least now he has an idea of what might be wrong. Or an idea of an idea of one. Depa must be the “friend” his mother was discussing. There’s a whole lot of things Obi-Wan could have to apologize for, though. Like, a  _ lot _ . But why would Pika stop speaking to him? Why was he so sure that she suggested sharing the duty of his training to strike back at him? He never wants to be an adult if he’s going to have such big problems.

“Didi, I have a question.”

“Fire away," she says absently.

“Why are you and Obi-Wan acting weird?”

“Anakin, our relationship is purely professional and beyond that, it has no bearing on your training.”

“That’s not an answer, master.”

“We’re here for  _ you _ , Niko. Go find your mother and spend time with her. We leave tomorrow night.”

Anakin pouts at her terse tone, but obeys. “...yes, master.”

Boo. He’ll just have to needle someone else until he gets an answer. Obi-Wan says the best way to get what you want is negotiation, but he’s found that consistent aggravation gets things done too.


End file.
